Lord Cynic: "And now an entry for the Kyoru fans. Yeah, that includes me. No pussyfooting around, though (please ignore the pun), here we go!"

Lord Cynic: "I don't own Fruits Basket. If I did… actually, best not to think about it. Non-Shigure thoughts! Non-Shigure thoughts!"

The Rat, the Cat and the Rice ball

He has everything

The rat has everything. The looks, the brains, the personality, the fans. He has everything he could ever want. He even has her.

And yet, Kyo can live with knowing the rat is better at him at almost everything. But, he can't stand knowing that he has something the cat felt he wanted more than anything else. Her heart.

Then again, it is always like that. The cat was the outcast, the failure, the monster. He can never truly belong with anybody, and will only serve the purpose of being the next to be locked away for the rest of his life. No matter what he tries, there's nothing that Kyo, the newest cat, can do to escape that fate. And yet, if he could ask for anything before that time, it would be her smile, her laugh, her beauty. But that is impossible. She fawns over that rat like everyone else. The feline can never compete with the rodent, even in the battlefield of love.

But he isn't surprised. The rat always got everything, after all. That damn Yuki is popular with everyone at school, they hang on his every word, and even during lunchbreak, the cat can hear girls swooning from across the yard. It sickens Kyo to think about it, but it pains him to see the lovey-dovey look in her eyes when she talks to that damn pretty boy. Her bubbly laughter when she tells him something embarrassing, the earnest look on her face when she apologises for nothing. The way she hangs close to Yuki during walks practically anywhere. He, Kyo, the cat, can only lag behind to watch them deep in conversation and seethe silently, or break ahead and avoid seeing the caring gleam in her eyes and the excitement and breathlessness in her voice.

Again, the cat isn't surprised. That rotten rat's pretty much perfect on all sides. He's clever, he's intelligent, he's good-looking, better at martial arts (the only thing the cat can take pleasure in), and polite. The perfect gentleman, even. So why shouldn't she fall for him? Why shouldn't she feel more inclined to get close to the rat than the cat? After all, it's not like Kyo has anything to offer. A rotten attitude, crappy manners and a temper that sets off like a crummy car alarm. A complete and utter loser. No, worse, a monster. A monster that will soon be locked away from society. A monster who caused his mother to commit suicide and his father to hate his guts. How can the cat possibly compete with the "Prince" of the school? Easy, he can't. He never could.

The "Prince" doesn't realise how lucky he has things. He's able to belong in the family, he earns respect from the people around him, and he's good at everything he does. In the end, the cat can't hold a candle to the rat. No matter what Kyo tries, even if he tries to become stronger, the rodent will always be the one who holds his head high. And now, the outcast has been beaten in the most important battle in his life. The rat has claimed the heart of the girl who saw he, the cat, as something other than a hideous creature. And now, the only thing he can do is watch over her as a friend and protector.

In the end, the rat will always win. No matter what the contest, he will come out on top. Even if the cat fights his best fight, if he struggles through to the finish, he will always come off second-best. Even in matters of love, the cat will be left in the dust to rue another lost opportunity. But, knowing that he, Kyo, is special to her in any way can almost compensate for the ultimate loss. The knowledge that, although he can never be her lover, he can be her friend may yet be his saving grace. The fact that he lost admirably to a better man may soothe the heartache in given time.

Yes, the rat had everything he ever wanted. He even had her, but the cat would finally admit defeat, knowing that he at least stood a fighting chance.

Lord Cynic: "Edited, hopefully, for coherence. Thanks, helpful reviewer."